Dirty Secrets of Small Business

Dirty Secrets of Small Business


How Do I Know If I Should Have A Partner?

December 15, 2022
In This Episode

We are big fans of partnerships.  Surprisingly, we tend to find ourselves in the minority when it comes to that positive view of business partners.  We’re guessing you may have heard a lot of negatives about partners as well.  So why do we often recommend that business owners look for good partners?


As you might imagine, not everyone is partner material.  That means you might not be a good potential partner.  Do you like sharing the credit for things or do you want to be the one getting all the accolades?  Do you like having your ideas challenged or would you prefer people just do what you ask?  What kinds of experiences have you had in your life with different “partners”?  Do you have a lot of long-term relationships that have helped you in different facets of your life?


These and many other factors will determine if you or that potential partner might be a good fit.  Here are some of the biggest benefits we’ve noticed with partnerships:


  • Add Energy: as a successful small business owner, you tend to have more good days than bad. But you’re still human and it’s next to impossible to bring your best game to the table each and every day.  In fact it can get quite tiring having to constantly be the one driving your company forward.  Imagine how much better you’d feel having a great partner to help recharge your batteries.  Chances are you’ve experienced something similar with a good person in your business who helps to get you going.
  • Share Burdens: being a small business owner can be a lonely feeling. This is especially the case when things aren’t going well or there are some difficult circumstances or decisions you’re facing.  Imagine having someone who is really good to share those burdens with.  Where everything isn’t resting solely on your shoulders.
  • Double The Joy: one of the things we often have to encourage our small business owner clients to do is to stop and celebrate the big moments and accomplishments in your business. It’s so easy to continue plowing ahead to the next challenge or deadline.  But it helps to stop and smell the roses once in a while.  And when you have someone to share those highs with it can be even sweeter than celebrating alone.
  • Accomplish More Together: that adage of 1+1=3 can truly be the case with a good partnership. If you and your business partner bring different things to the table and you’re able to share those different talents and ideas, chances are pretty high that you’ll get where you’re trying to go much faster.

It’s never too late to find a partner.  In fact, there might be a few right under your nose but maybe you haven’t noticed.